Review: Currents B-Sides & Remixes – Tame Impala

Rating: 1

After a long wait of over two years, Kevin Parker and his widely renowned psych-pop-rock band, Tame Impala, have returned with a whopping three unreleased songs, and two decidedly bland remixes. Currents B-Sides & Remixes is, of course, not a full-length release – the EP forms part of the newly released Currents Collector’s Edition; however, as a collection of songs, the EP feels unfortunately bland and underwhelming.

The track listing opens with the loud, glaring 'List of People (To Try and Forget About)'. As an opener, it’s a pretty solid track, rife with booming bass, whirring synths and typically tight percussion. Pretty standard for a Tame Impala song, right? The next song, 'Powerlines', is the best of the lot, opening with an eerie, droning synth that almost bears resemblance to an emergency alert alarm. The track at first seems like a darker departure from the rest of Currents. Parker’s catchy bass riff kicks in and provides a brilliant hook to what could have otherwise simply been a throwaway instrumental track. The song then continues to build and unfurl into a swirling hurricane of euphoric psychedelia, complete with snarling drums, crunching guitars, and effervescent synths.

After this, however, the EP drops in quality. 'Taxi’s Here' is a completely forgettable and weak track; it comes as no surprise that this didn’t make the cut on the album. Following this comes two extremely dull remixes: 'Reality in Motion (Gum Remix)', remixed by band member Jay Watson, and the previously released 'Let It Happen (Soulwax Remix)', both of which fail to warrant a ‘re-release’ of the album. On the whole, while it isn’t awful and the first two tracks are definitely worth a listen, this is an extremely underwhelming and disappointing release, given the amount of time it’s taken.